Signaling system.



A. H. RUDD.

SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION man mvzmxexe.

Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

2 $HEETSSHEET 1.

A. H. RUDD.

SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATlON mm MAY 26. I916.

ALEXANDER H. RUDD, OF MEDIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNO CORPORATION OF MAINE.

SIGNAL COMPANY, A.

SIGNALING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER H. RUDD, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a. resident of Media, Pennsylvania, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Signaling Systems, of which the followingis a specification.

The elements in use in railway signals cannot well be individually givenmore than four indicative positions, and thus the number of indicationsthat each of such elements can give, is likewise limited. To increasethis signaling capacity, it has been proposed to associate two elements,one generally located above the other (such elements being, forconvenience, herein termed upper and lower elements), and to givevarious signals by the combinations of the indications of the twoelements. Thus a vertical position of the upper element may indicateproceed," an inclined position proceed-prepared to stop at next signal,and a horizontal position stop. A. horizontal position of the upperelement accompanying a display of the lower element may be used toindicate stop, then proceed. Again, an inclined position of the upperelement with a vertical position of the lower element may indicateproceed-prepared to pass next signal at medium speed. In both of thelast cases it will be noted that the indication of the lower elementrenders the indication of the upper elementmore favorable.

Briefly stated, my invention comprises, (1) Means for preventing, uponshifting circuit connections to change from one inclication to anotherindication, the undesired momentary display of a third indication, thisbeing especially applicable when polarized direct current track circuitsare used, and the signals are light signals. ("2) Means whereby anoperator can take control of an automatic signaling system havingcompound signals to cause the display by one element of a desiredindication, and to cause the display of the other element thereof, orthe display of a desired indication by the latter, to modify the meaningof the indication afforded by the first named element.

(3) Means whereby the signaling circuits of compound signals areelectrically interlocked to prevent the display of the indications byone element thereof other than those appropriate to and intended fordisplay with the indication displayed by the other EU T @FFEQE R TO THEPOSITION-LIGHT Patented Jan, 3d, 19M.

element, and whereby the display of an indication by one element is madedependent upon the presence of a lighting current in the desired signalunits of the other element. (a) Means for reducing the consumption ofcurrent in light signa signals in a normally open with means for closingthrough proper sign-ah approach of a train,

ls by including such lighting circuit,

such lighting circuit ng branches upon the such last named meansincluding either normally open or normally closed track circuits.

It further consists in the arrangement and operation of the severalparts of which it is composed, as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed Referring to the accompanying drawings, in whichcorresponding parts are designated by corresponding marks of reference,Fig;

ure 1 is a diagram of a ing some herein disclosed applied thereto.

signaling system havof the features of the invention Fi 2 is a similardiagram, containing other features of the invention herein disclosed;and Fig.

3 is a diagram embodying all of the features of the invention hereindisclosed.

l have in the accompanying drawings, shown my invention as embodied inposition-light signals,

in which the indication is discussion of such sigtive position of faces.For a fuller nals references may 1 175,339 ranted lvlfarch ll Uiurchilland myself. it is obvious,

that many of the inventive matliam however, ters herein contained suchsignals, but may types of signals, and limit my invention to tion isdetermined by of lights or illuminated sources in will, in the claims,refer to to each other, I

osition-light s gnals, to limit my claims of that is to say, in signalsgiven by the relailluminated surbe had in Patentv 1916, to waare notrestricted to be embodied in other wherever I desire to signals whoseindicathe relative position respect while when I desire invention to thedisplay of illuminated sources signals, I will refer to light signals.

The upper element of a composite signal may, therefore, but notnecessarily, be formed cal and inclined rows of dications thereof mayrow of such lamps that is the lower element may sarily, formed by one ormore arranged with means of horizontal, verti lamps, and the in bedetermined by the illuminated, while be, but not neceslamps suitably forilluminating one or all of them at will, and I will describe myinvention With this understa The individual parts of the apparatus usedin the embodiment of the invention herein shown is of constructionforming a part of the published art at the date of filing theapplication for this patent, and it will not be necessary for me todescribe the construction of such parts in detail, but merely todescribe the connections, arrangement and operation of such known partswhereby the results here sought to be obtained are accomplished.

In all of the f ures, the upper element 1 consists of lamps 1 arrangedin a vertical row, and an inclined row of lamps 1 and a horizontal rowof lamps 1 with a lamp 1 at the intersection of the rows. A common wire2 leads from all the lamps to one end of a source of potential 3, whilethe lamps l 1",,1 and 1 are connected by the branch leads 4, 4 4 and 4",respectively, and the lead 5, and certain other elements and parts to aswitch 6 adapted to connect with the opposite end, or with anintermediate point of the potential source, to give different voltageson the lamps as described in the aforesaid patent.- The branch circuitsthus formed are herein termed signaling circuits, in that through themthe current flows which is the proximate cause of the signal indication.They are also, when the signals are light signals, lighting circuits.

The switch 6 may be actuated by a relay 7, the energization of which isdue to a line 8 having a control switch 9. By proper manipulation ofthis switch, the voltage thrown on the different branches of the si nalcircuit may be varied, and such source 3 may therefore be called amultiple potential source, while the leads 4 4 and 4 may be termed,respectively, from the indications given when current flowstherethrough, clear, caution and stop signal leads. The clear andcaution leads are both proceed leads. The track 10 is shown divided intoblocks by the usual track-insulations.

In the drawings, the home-block protected by the signal shown is marked10 and the advance block 10". A signal relay 11 is shown connectedacross the rails of the home-block and its polarized armature 12 maymake contact either with the clear lead 4, or with the caution lead 4The pivot of the armature 12 is connected to a point 13 forming one ofthe contact stops of an armature 14, the other stop of Which is a point15 connected with the stop lead 4. The pivotal point of the armature 14is connected with the lead 5, and a relay 16 is connected in series withthe source 3, its circuit when closed including a neutral armature 17controlled by the track-relay 11, and a lead 18. A track relay 19 isconnected across the rails of the advance block 10 and controls apolarity switch 20 adapted to reverse the connections of a track battery21 with the rails of the home-block. The parts above described are soarranged that with the train in the home-block (whether or not one bepresent in the advance block) the signal relay 11 Will be deenergized,breaking the circuit of the relay 16 and causing it to drop itsarmature14 on the stop contact 15 to close the circuit of the horizontal row oflamps to give a stop indication. This breaks the circuit through theclear and caution leads 4 and a If, however, there is a train in theadvance block and none in the home-block, the pole-changer 20 will be sothrown as to send current of proper polarity through the relay ll tocause its polarized armature 12 to contact with the caution lead al Thepresence of current in the relay 11 will also energize its neutralarmature 17 to close the circuit of the relay 16, so that the armaturell of the last-named relay will break the circuit through the stop lead4, and be drawn into contact with the point 13, thus completing circuitthrough the polarized armature 12 and caution lead a", lighting theinclined row of lamps to give a pro ceed-prepared to stop at next signalindication. If there is no train in either the home or advance block,the polarized relay will be held against the stop connected with theclear lead-4, and the proceed indication will begiven.

In connection with the general system above described, I have providedcertain additional features, which, while capable of use in connectionwith each other, are also capable of independent use. I 7

As light signals are excessively quick in action, the relay 16 is, bypreference, so constructed as to have a time-interval, or the movementof its armature 11 may be retarded in some way, in order to preventquick movement of the latter, and thus prevent the giving for a moment,of a stop indication, due to a momentary opening of the circuit of therelay 16 on the change of the polarity of the relay 11 in changing fromcaution to clear, and to prevent the armature 1-1 from contacting withits stop 13 before the polarized armature 12 has assumed its properposition for changing the indication in going from step toproceed-prepared to stop at next signal. This latter might otherwiseresult in giving a momentary proceed indication.

ilfcmual control of automatic signals to give stop indication, Fig.1.)-The lower element 30 of a compound signal to give the indication ofstop and proceed may consist of a single lamp 30 connected between thecommon return 2 and the stop signal lead 4 through a lead 31 and aswitch A second switch 33 is interposed in the lead 18 of the relay 16in series with the neutral armature 17 these switches being connectedtogether for manual control by an operator, who, it he wishes to takecommand of the signal and give the indication stop, opens the switches33 and 32. The former, by breaking the circuit of the relay 16, closesthe circuit of a horizontal row of lamps of the upper signal element andbreaks any possible circuit through the other rows thereof, and thelatter opens the circuit of the lamp 30 of the lower element. Byreversing the position of the switch-es, the system again becomesautomatic, and under control of the current present or absent in therelay 11.

Safety interlock of circuits of the upper clement with the controlcircuits of the lower element. (See Fig. 2.)As shown herein, the lowersignal element 30 comprises, in addition to the single lamp 30, theadditional lamps 30", the whole being arranged in a vertical row, whichrow, when concurrently lighted with the inclined row of the upperelement, gives a proceed-prepared to pass next signal at medium speedindication. Obviously, the meaning attached to any combination ofpositions of the elements is immaterial for the purpose of this case,the signification heretofore given being merely for purposes ofillustration.

The lamps 3O are connected between the common return 2 and the lead 5through a lead 31 and an armature The lead 31 from the single lamp 30has one branch (herein called the stop branch) through an armature 36,and another branch (herein called the caution branch) through thearmatures 37 and 38 to the lead 5, the armature 36 being so arrangedthat it opens its branch when the relay 16 is energized and the armature37 being so arranged that at such time, it closes its branch. Thearmatures and 38 are controlled by a relay 39, included in a controlline 40, which line also includes a neutral armature 41 and a polarizedarmature 12, controlled by the trackrelay 11, the arrangement of thesearmatures being such that the neutral armature l1 is moved to close theline 40 whenever current is present in the relay 11, and that thearmature 42 closes such line when current of such polarity is flowingthrough the relay 11, as will close the caution signal lead 4 Underthese conditions, the relay 39 cannot be energized to close contacts atand 38, unless current of: proper polarity is flowing through the relay11 to close the caution signal lead 4*. The control line 40 furtherincludes an armature 43 controlled by a relay i-t interposed in thecaution signal lead 4'.

lVith the control line 10 opened for any reason, both branches of thelead 31 from the single lamp 30 of the lower element, will be brokenwhen the relay 16 is energized, the stop branch at the armature 36 andthe cantion branch at the armature 38, and thus the indication given bythe inclined row of lamps of the upper element is not modified. Underthe same supposition, but with the relay 16 dei nergized, the stopsignal lead 4 will be closed to battery, and the circuit of the singlelamp 30 will be closed to battery through the stop branch, giving astop- 7 then proceed indication.

Due to the operation of the armatures 41 and 12, the control lead 40 canonly be closed when current of proper polarity is flowing in the relay11 to close the caution circuit of the upper element. At this time themagnet 16 is energized and the stop branch of the circuit of lamp 30 isbroken at the armature 36, and the caution branch is closed at thearmature 37. \Vhether or not this last named branch is closed to batterywill depend upon whether or not the line 10 and the relay 39 isenergized. If energized, both armatures and 38 will be drawn againsttheir corresponding contacts, and not only will the lamp 30 beilluminated, but also the lamps 30", thus giving an illumination of therow of lamps of the lower element simultaneously with the illuminationof the inclined row of lamps in the upper element, and displaying a"proceed-prepared to pass next signal at medium speed indication. Itwill be noted that the vertical row of lamps of the lower element cannotbe illuminated unless the armature 12 is in position to display thecaution indidation, and thus the circuit of the lower el'e'ment iselectrically interlocked with the desired signal indication by the upperelement.

As it might happen that some part of the caution lighting circuit? ofthe upper element be interrupted in spite of the fact that the armature12 is properly positionedto effeet the caution indication, and as thismay result in the display of a vertical row of lamps in the lowerelement, without the display of any lamps in the upper element, leadingto a mis-reading of the indication as clear, the relay 4-1 is interposedin the caution line 4*, so that if current is not actually flowingthrough the caution lamps 1", such relay will be decnergized, openingthe control circuit 40 at the relay 13 and thus deenergizing the relay39 to break the circuits of all the lamps in the lower element.

The control line 40 may lead toany distant point from which it isdesired to control the signals, and the character of the means forcompleting the circuit through the line 40 at such distant point may,obviously, assume many forms, and be controlled in numerous ways Withoutdeparting from the nature of this invention. A ground-return may beused, and for this reason, the battery 3 may have one end grounded, asshown at G, Fig. 2, or the circuit for the control may have a metallicreturn and an independent source of as shown at 4:0 and 40* Fig. 3.

Obviously, either normally open or. normally closed signal circuits maybe employed, that is to say, one or more of the lamps may beconstantlyilluminated, or all of the lamps may be normally extinguished,and only illuminated upon the approach of a train to which an indicationis to be given. In the circuit shown in Fig. 1, one of the rows of theupper element are always in closed circuit; but as shown in Fig. 2, atrack section 10 may be provided immediately in front of the signal, anda relay 50 connected across the rails of such section at the end thereofnear the signal, while a track battery 51 is connected across the railsof the opposite end of such section. Current will thus normally flowthrough the relay 50 and hold up the armature 52 thereof out of contactwith its cooperating point, such armature being interposed in the signallead 5, thus breaking the supply circuits for all the lamps. A trainapproaching the signal will short-circuit the battery 51, deenergize therelay 50 and close the signaling circuit at 52, to cause current to flowthrough the lamps according to the current in the signaling relay 11.

current,

In the structure just described, the track circuit of the section 10 isa normally closed circuit. Obviously, it may be a normally open circuit.When of this character, as shown Fig. 3, a track relay 50 and a trackbattery 51 are connected across the rails 10 of the approaching section,and as such section is normally open, the armature 52 of the relay 50will fall away from its cooperating contact point. The presence of atrain on the section 10 will close the track circuit, energize the relay50 to cause the armature 52 to close the proper lighting circuit throughthe lead 5.

In Fig. 3, I have shown a system embodying a combination of all of thefeatures before described. In this figure it will be noted that themanual control switch 32 for the single lamp 30 is only in the stopbranch thereof. Thus the opening of this switch in the structure of thisfigure, is only effective when a stop indication is given by the upperelement of the signal, for at other times the branch through thearmature 37 would continue, unless otherwise prevented, in spite of theopening of such switch The switch 33 is therefore provided and connectedmechanically to switch 32, so that both must open and close together.The circuit of relay 16 is, therefore, opened at the same time as thecircuit of lamp 30 thus insuring the opening of all proceed circuits andclosing the circuits to the horizontal or stop lamps 1.

- Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l.-In a lightsignal, the combination with lighting circuits and lamps containedtherein, of anarmature controlling one of such circuits, a secondarmature controlling the first named circuit and also another of suchcircuits, and a common control for the two armatures, the last namedarmature having a greater time interval than the first-named armature.

2. In a light signal, the combination with a plurality of proceedlighting circuits, of a stop lighting circuit, an armature controllingthe proceed circuits, a second armature controlling the proceed circuitsand the stop circuit, and a-common control for the two armatures, thelast named ar'mature having a greater time interval than the first namedarmature.

3. In a light signal, the combination with lighting circuits, and lampscontained therein, of a track relay, an armature actuated thereby andcontrollin one of said circuits, a second relay whose circuit iscontrolled by the first relay, and an armature actuated by the secondrelay, controlling the first named circuit and also another of suchcircuits, the last named armature having a greater time interval thanthe first named armature.

4. I11 a light signal, the combination with a plurality of proceedcircuits, of a stop lighting circuit, atrack relay, means fordetermining current flow through the said relay and the character ofsuch flow, a polarized armature actuated by the said relay andcontrolling according to the polarity of the current therein the proceedcircuits,

a neutral armature actuated by the said relay, a second relay whosecircuit includes the neutral armature of the first relay, and anarmature actuated by the second relay for completing the proceedcircuits, or the stop circuit, the 'movements of the last named armaturehaving a greater time interval than that of the polarized armature.

5. In a signaling system, the combination with an upper element, of alower element, proceed and stop signal circuits for the upper element, asignal circuit for the lower element, a track relay and a relaycontrolled thereby for controlling the signaling circuits of the upperelement, the last named relay having an armature which when such relayis decnergized, opens the proceed and closes the stop circuits, andmanual interconnected means for opening the circuit of the last namedrelay and the signal circuit of the lower element.

6. In a signaling system, the combination with an upper element havingproceed and ing either of the proceed circuits,

stop signal circuits, means for controlling said circuits, a lowerelement having a signal circuit, a circuit maker in the circuit of thelower element, and a circuit actuating the said circuit maker to closesaid circuit including contacts closed by the said means when a proceedcircuit of the upper element is closed.

7. In a signaling system, the combination with an upper element havingproceed circuits, and stop signal circuits, of a polarized track relayfor closing eitherof the proceed circuits, and efi'ecting whendeenergized, the closing the stop circuit, a lower element having asignal circuit, a circuit breaker in said last named circuit, a circuitactuating the said circuit breaker to close the signal circuit,including a. neutral and a polarized armature controlled by the trackrelay.

8. In a signaling system, with an upper element having proceed circuits,and stop signal circuits, of a track relay having a polarized armaturefor closand a neutral armature, a second relay whose circuit includesthe said neutral armature, and which has an armature which, whendeenergized, closes the stop circuit, a lower element having twosignaling circuits, one 0 which comprises a caution branch reverselycontrolled by the second relay in respect to the stop signal circuit ofthe upper element, and a stop branch controlled by the said second relayin the same manner as the stop signal circuit, connected circuitbreakers in the caution branch of the said circuit of the lower element,and of theother circuit of said element, and a control circuit forclosing said circuit breakers, including a neutral and polarizedarmature controlled by the track relay.

9. In a light signaling system, the'combination with an upper elementhaving light signaling circuits of a lower element intended or displaywith an indication of the upper element, a relay in the correspondinglighting circuit of the upper element, and means for causing the displayof the lower element, said means including a cirthe combination I fsignals and lighting circuits therefor,

per element, one of such signaling circuits being reversely controlledby the second reclosing simultaneously with corresponding circuits ofthe uplay in respect to the stop signal circuit of the upper element,and the other of the said circuitsof the lower element including acircuit breaker, a control circuit for closing said circuit breaker, arelay in one of the lighting circuits of the upper element, neutral andpolarized armatures in the control circuit controlled by the trackrelay, and a relay in the control circuit controlled by the relay in thelighting circuit of the upper element.

11. In a signaling system, the combination with a sectionalized track,of light position tery, a normally opened circuit breaker mterposedbetween the lighting circuits and the battery, means actuated by thepresence of'a train on a section of the track in advance of, butadjacent to the signals, to close said circuit breaker, and means fordetermining which of the lighting circuits is then energized. r

12. In a signaling system, the combination with an upper signalingelement having signaling circuits, of a lower signaling element havingsignaling circuits, a relay in series with a signaling circuit of theupper element and circuit breakers controlled thereby to break asignaling circuit, the lower element on failure of the current in thesignaling circuit of the upper element.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name. I

ALEXANDER H. RUDD.

a bat--

